SuicideBy: Ty Pieper

Suicides happen year round. Among young people, there are about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC. Many people commit suicide in their home. Creating a safe home will decrease the number of kids that commit suicide. Sixty percent of suicides are gun related, states medicinenet.com. “According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common method for teenage suicide is by firearm. This is closely followed by suffocation.” If we were to keep firearms out of kids reach more than half of U.S. suicides could be prevented. Removing guns from kids’ reach and locking up firearms should prevent children from having a gun as a weapon of choice when thinking about committing suicide.

During 2014, a total of 47,055 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States. Nationwide, the drug overdose death rate has more than doubled during the past decade among people aged 12 to 25, according to the Trust for America's Health report. If it's a child's prescription the parent should provide the daily dose and keep the bottle in a secure location. If it is a parent;s prescription then the parent should hide it or keep it in another secure location. This is another way of suicide prevention.

Talking to kids is another great way of preventing suicide. Continuing to be supportive can also help. Parents who stay active in their kids life will realize mood changes and what they can do to help. If the kid feels depressed, bring him or her to counseling where they can talk to a trusted adult.. If the kid is having trouble at school then ask the principal if there is anything that can be changed to make the kid feel better. If we talk to kids we will have an idea of what's happening in their life.

There are many ways to create a safe home and help prevent childhood suicide. Removing pills, knives, razors and firearm away from them helps. Parents should help create a safe home and help prevent suicide.